George William Taylor (November 22, 1808 – August 31, 1862) was a general in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. He commanded a

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...

in the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confede ...

before being mortally wounded at the Battle of Manassas Station in

Northern Virginia Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is a widespread region radiating westward and southward from Washington, D.C. Wit ...

. The poem "The General's Death" by Joseph O'Connor was based on George W. Taylor's death.

Early life and career

Taylor was born at "Solitude," the family's mansion near

High Bridge, New Jersey High Bridge is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 3,648,Middletown, Connecticut. George W. Taylor joined his father's company as an ironworker with Taylor Iron Works. Taylor Iron Works/Taylor Wharton is the oldest foundry in US History and the 13th longest continually operating company in the world history (Economist 2004) In 1827, Taylor joined the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

as a midshipman, serving aboard the USS ''Fairfield'' during her Mediterranean deployment from 1828 to 1831. When the ship returned to the U.S., he resigned from the Navy and entered his family's mercantile business. With the outbreak of the war with Mexico in 1846, he became a captain in the 10th U.S. Infantry under

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...

the following year. While in Mexico, he developed a reputation for discipline and order among his men. He also cultivated a strong friendship with

Philip Kearny Philip Kearny Jr. (; June 1, 1815 – September 1, 1862) was a United States Army officer, notable for his leadership in the Mexican–American War and American Civil War. He was killed in action in the 1862 Battle of Chantilly. Early life and c ...

, a fellow future Civil War general. After receiving his honorable discharge with the end of the hostilities, Taylor joined the California Gold Rush and spent three years mining at

Corte Madera, California Corte Madera (; Spanish for "Chop Wood") is an incorporated town in Marin County, California. Corte Madera is located south of San Rafael, at an elevation of 39 feet (12 m). The population was 10,222 at the 2020 census. The town was named afte ...

, (near San Francisco) before returning to New Jersey, where he engaged in the manufacturing of iron until the Civil War erupted in early 1861.

Civil War service

Taylor helped recruit and organize what became the 3rd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry in May 1861 and was appointed by Governor Olden as the new

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

's first

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

. His son, Archibald II, served as his aide-de-camp. Taylor was involved in the fighting at the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

. Later, his 3rd New Jersey was brigaded with the 1st,

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Second of arc, an angular measurement unit, ...

, and 4th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry to make up what became famed as the " First New Jersey Brigade". Taylor's regiment served in the 1st Brigade, 1st Division of the

VI Corps 6 Corps, 6th Corps, Sixth Corps, or VI Corps may refer to: France * VI Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry formation of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VI Corps (Grande Armée), a formation of the Imperial French army du ...

, in numerous battles in the

Seven Days Battles The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, comman ...

during the end of the Peninsula Campaign. When his mentor and friend Kearny was elevated to

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

command in June 1862, Taylor was promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

(date of rank May 9, 1862) of the 1st New Jersey Brigade, leading it in the

. During the Northern Virginia Campaign, his brigade was sent down from Washington to scout out Confederate troop movements. On August 27, the brigade stumbled into Stonewall Jackson's entire corps and was quickly routed. Taylor suffered a severe leg wound from an artillery shell and died in a Washington hospital four days later. His body was transported to

Clinton, New Jersey Clinton is a town in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It is located on the South Branch of the Raritan River in the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town's population was 2,719,Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

and buried beside him.

References

* Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, . * U.S. War Department
''The War of the Rebellion''
''a Compilation of the

Official Records The ''Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion'', commonly known as the ''Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies'' or Official Records (OR or ORs), is the most extensive collection of Americ ...

of the Union and Confederate Armies'', U.S. Government Printing Office, 1880–1901.
civilwarpoetry.org

Notes

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, George W. Union Army generals United States Navy sailors People of New Jersey in the American Civil War Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War American military personnel of the Mexican–American War People from High Bridge, New Jersey 1808 births 1862 deaths Military personnel from Connecticut

Early life and career

Civil War service

See also

References

Notes

External links